Don’t miss auto recalls

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Don’t just fling that recall notice for your automobile into the “take care of later” pile.

Recall notices, issues by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, are made after very serious safety concerns are brought to light and discussed with the automaker. It’s important to note that while dealers will repair the problem at no charge, they won’t do so indefinitely.

“They will repair them for as long as parts are available,” said Ed Kriston, approved automotive repair specialist of the Towson Office of AAA Mid-Atlantic, headquartered in Wilmington, Del. “Usually that is for years.”

Of course there are no guarantees. Worse, the problem can likely cause serious malfunction and result in injury or even death.

If you consistently take your vehicle to a reputable automotive repair facility, chances are good that the service advisors will check for outstanding recalls when you bring the car in for service.

But don’t take the chance something is missed. Even if the reason for a recall isn’t headline news, that doesn’t mean it is not a safety issue. Take the car in as soon as possible once you receive the notice.

Safety first

Other safety issues to note from Kriston and his AAA colleague Jeffrey Boone:

» Go to nhtsa.gov. There you will find a host of other safety-related information on everything from automobiles to child safety seats.

» Watch for service bulletins issued by manufacturers. To have such problems fixed without charge, cars must generally have less than 15,000 miles.

» When you receive a recall notice, assume your car has the existing problem.

» Check recalls.gov. That is a clearinghouse for NHTSA and other agencies.

For more information on this and other car safety issues, go to aaa.com.

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